Miter box



July 27 1926.

1,594,183 C. A. MORAN MITER BOX Filed March 18. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 27 1926.

c. A. MoRAN MITER BOX Filed March 1a, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 'July `21, 192e.. 1,594,183

C. A, MORAN MITER BOX -Filed March 18, 1924 3' Sheets-Silent 3 HIM Cama@ WLM @ttor/wmf Patented July Z7, i926,

UNITED sTnTes CHARLES A. MORAN, OF BERNARDSVILLE, NEW JERSEY.

MITER BOX.

Application filed March 18, 1824.

This invention relates particularly to saw controlling mechanisms and to various features of construction and provision for angular adjustments so as to be universally adapted for controlling and guiding the saw for any particular requirements cf thc work to be performed.

(lne object of this invention is to provide a simple and economical. form of construction, which may be manufactured generally from sheet metal giving low cost in the making of the parts and in cost of assembly. Another object is to make the device adapted for convenient use, easily and quickly adjustable and light in weight and compact in form so that it may be easily carried about. Another object is to provide a high degree of accuracy of adjustments and to insure accuracy in the worlr performed. It is the common fault with many, if not all, miter boxes available that the structure is more or less unstable when the saw makes the initial cut, resulting in a deviation from accuracy `at a time when it is most important to secure a high degree of accuracy, because after the cut is once started incorrectly, even to a slight degree, the work cannot be satisfactorily performed. lilith the present invent-ion, the device has the same stability and accuracy of cut at the beginning as at the end of the cut. Another object is to provide angular adjustment, not only of the saw, but of the device itself and of the table or tables supporting the work, giving an ada )tation for any particular requirements and a cut in planes at various angles 'to each other, not only of the saw to the work, but also of the work to the saw. @ther advantages and objects of this invention will be understood. from the following description and accompanying` drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof. t l

Fig. l is a front view; Fig. 2 is a side view; Fig. 3 is a plan view; Fig. d is a front view of the cradle, or saw support on a re duced scale; and Fig. 5 is a side view of a part of the mechanism showing a modilication.

A base or main support is provided cut from a metal plate or sheet and having an extending supportingpart l and also-having an upwardly extending part la. The outer portion of the part l is perforated to' receive screws bywhich the device be i Ui to e hei-ich er other rt serial No. 700,175.

when desired. On opposite sides of the upwardly extending part of the base is a pair of circular plates 3, which plates have a rec tangular opening t at their top central portion. rihe two circular plates clamp between them and are secured to two iipwardly extending strips of plate material. These strips are spaced from each other as shown in Fig. l and are located inwardly from the vertical edges of the opening 4 in the plates 3 so to form a groove at the vertical sides of this opening. The st ips 5 extend considerably above the circular plates and are joined at the top by handle 6. rlhe circular plates are perforated at their center through which extends a pin 7. The pin 7 also passes through a perforation near the upper end of the arm l of the base. The pin 7 thus forms a center pivot for the circular plates r and the upwardly extending strips. The main frame of the device may thus be turned to any required extent in the plane of the main frame about the pivot 7. ln order to hold the main framein any desired position on the base, the outer lower periphery of one of the circular plates 3 is provided with a series of notches 8. A spring catch 9 is pivoted at 9l to the face of the base .portion la, and is adapted to engage in any one of the notches 8 and thus hold the main frame in any desired angular position-in relation to the base. A spring 9 is attached to the base at one end and to the outer end of the spring catch 9 at its other end, thus tending to hold the catch in any one of the notches d.

The saw l() is carried and guided by a unitary frame structure, or cradle, which is separately shown in Fig. 4f and also well shown in Fig. l. llt comprises a circular plate ll of sheet metal, its opposite sides being notched to engage anc have a sliding lit with the strips 5. Fixed to the under side of the plate ll, are a pair of downwardly extending strips l2. Their upper ends l2 are bent and secured tofthe plate ll and their lower ends have outwardly projecting feet 12b. The lower ends of the strips l2 are braced and strengthened by a cross piece or strip 12C of plate material, having downwardly extending ends which are riveted, welded, or otherwise secured to the lower ends of the, strips l2.

The outer part of the top surface of plate aces-rarely graduated and magneti i te the angular psitinn er the saw in relation -to the plane of the main frame. Between the plate 11 and the crosspiece 12C, is journaled or pivotally mountedV a. saw carrying element 111. This is preferably made in the form of a cylinder and has its upper and lower ends 14, 11, reduced'in size and have their bearings in the supporting frame. r1`he element 111- has a vertical slot 1/1) for receivingthe blade ot the saw and an enlarged opening 14 `tor receiving the back ofthe saw.

The lower ends 12b of the unitary trame engage the grooves at the sides oit the opening 4 of the main frame', these grooves forming the bearing and guides for the lower end of the saw frame. Y he plate 11 forms a supportI and guide 'tor the upper end o1" the saw trame. and as the engaging parts forming the guides at the upper and lower ends of the saw frame, are accurately fitted, there is secured and insured an accurate relationship at all times between the saw carrying frame and the main frame. This accuracy ot relationship is maintained in all posit-ions of the saw trame because in all positions, whether raised or lowered in relation to the main trame, there is maintained the same relationship of the bearing and guiding parts, the feet of the saw trame always being accurately guided and iirmly supported in the grooves at the sides of the opening 1, and the top plate of the saw frame always being in engagement with and accurately guided by the strips 5 ot the main frame. r1`hus there is the same accuracy in alignment o'tl the saw and in guiding it when the saw is raised and making the tirst cuts inthe material worked upon, as when in its lowest position. Many, if not all. prior Yforms of mechanisms have the ob- `iection that the guiding surface has a much reduced bearing Contact when the saw is raised, or else the saw itself is largely outside its guide ways, giving an unstable support and inaccurate guiding at a time when the initial cuts are made, which is a time when accuracy in starting the cut is most important. By this invention, as above explained, the saw is as firmly supported and accurately guided when the initial cuts are made. as at the time when the cut is completed kelements 16 are shaped to conform to and have a sliding tit with the back of the saw,

leaving an opening at' the bottom ot the element 16 to permit the passage ot the saw blade. These elements 16 are preterably made ot'sheet metal and bent to conform to the desired shape.

r1`he inner ends of the elements 1G have fixed thereto blocks 17, 17a, the upper portions ot which are slotted to engage the periphery oi the disc 11, having an accurate sliding lit therewith. One ot the blocks 17 is provided with a second slot 17@ parallel to and below the other slot, thus formingv two yieldable lips 1T and 17d embracing` the edge ot the plate 11. A wing nut 17", as'shown in Fig. 2, has a threaded engagement with a lower lip 17 and passes 'freely through the upper lip 17d. being thereby adapted to pinch the two lips against the edge of the plate 11 and hold the guides tor the saw in any desired angular position. The lips 17, 17d being yieldable and engagging the plate 11 on opposite sides impose no strain on the block 17 tending lo throw it or the saw out oi" alinement or from their correct positions. rihe blocks 17, 1T1 have a mark or pointer 17e, as shown in Fig. 3, which passesL over the graduated scale on the disc 11 so that the saw may be quickly adjusted to and set in any desired angular position in relation to the plane ot the main traine.

lilith the guides for the saw as above described. the saw is not only supported and guided by the central element 14 but by the front and back elements 16. In some cases however, it will su'mce to provide a support-ing element 1G on one side only of the main frame, as indicated in Fig. 5, but in this case the element 16"L must be longer in order to give proper and accurate support and guidance of the saw than when two such elements are used as shown in the figures already described. The construction of Fig. 6 permits a little longer stroke ot the saw in cutting because the handle can be brought. nearer to the main trame on the opposite side from the guide 1W; but when two guides 16 are used, as shown in Fig. 2, the length thereof may be shorter so that the length ot the stroke of the saw is not much reduced.

I also provide another adjustment in the provision of adjustable supports or tables for the work, not only in planes about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the main trame. but also in planes about a horizontal axis parallel to the plane ofthe main trame. I preferably provide duplicate supports or tables, one on each side of the main iframe. although only one such table may be used if desired. As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, two such tables are provided; and a description of one will sutlice for the other. A semi-circular plate 18 is placed against the lower half of the plate 3 and is pivotlli) ally mounted- .in relation thereto upon the pin 7. rl`he pin 7 may be secured to one of the plates 18 for convenience and simplicity in assembling or dissembling the parts. Each plate 18 is clamped in any desired position to its plate 3 by means of clamps 19. Each of these clamps is made of sheet metal and one end thereof riveted or otherwise secured to its plate 18 and having its outer portion bent over the outer peripheries of plates 3 and 18 and engaging the inner side of the plate 3. A space is left between the bent portion of the clamp and the periphery of the plate and a screw 19a passes through the two sides of the clamp 19 and the space at the outer periphery of the plates. By screwing 19a in and out, the plates are firmly clamped together, or released to permit angular a-djustment of the plate 18 about pivot pin 7 in relation to the plate 3. I preferably use two such clamps for each plate 18 oppositely disposed as shown in Fig. 1.

Each plate 18 is provided with strips 18a to form part of a hinge connection with each horizontal plate 20. The strips 18a respectively encircle a pair of rods 21 which form the pivot pins of the hinge, and the metal plates 20 are similarly provided with strips 20 which embrace the pins 21 thereby giving a hinged connection and support between the horizontal plates 2O and the vertical plates 18. Each plate 2O carries a wooden block 20" to form the table or support for receiving the work.

In order to secure angular adjustment and support of the plates 2O about their pivots, adjustable supporting means is provided between each plate 20 and its corresponding plate 18. As shown this consists of a pair of links 22, 22a pivotally connected together and clamped in any desired position by a wing nut 22". The outer ends of the links are pivot-ally connected to blocks 23 which in turn are secured respectively to the plates 18 and 20. Evidently by loosening the wing nut the plates may quickly be given any desired angular position of adjustment; and tightening the wing nut will lock the parts in such position.

lt is evident by means of this invention that the device is adapted for various kinds of work by adjustment to any desired degree of the parts above described. The angular adjustment of the saw about the disc 11 gives any desired angular adjustment of the saw in relation to the vertical plane of the main frame. Theangular adjustment of the plates 18 in relation to the plates 3 give any desired angular position about the pivot pin 7 for cutting on any desired angle of the work in relation to a horizontal plane; and by adjustment of the saw about the plate 3 and adjustment of the plates 18, a desiredv compound angle may be cut with accuracy" by one cut of the saw. The peripheries of the plates 18 may be graduated or provided with a scale in relation to the plates 3 so that the device may be set to any desired angular adjustment of the plates 18, the scale being indicated at 24am Fig. 2, but any other suitable scale provision desired may be made. Vihen the plates 18 are adjusted to a considerable angle from the normal position, the work, especially if in the form of long pieces, would strike at one end the table or other support to which the device is secured; the user in such a case may then depress the spring catch '9 and turn the main frame a desired amount about the pivot 7, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and thereby bring the work more nearly to a horizontal position, in spite of a considerable angular adjustment from normal of the plates 18. The angular adj ustment of the plates 20 about their pivots may be used where it is desired to make a cut in the work at an angle to its surface, such as in cutting slots for mortising or for any other desired purpose.

This improved saw controlling mechanism not only has the advantage of securing the various adjustments referred to, but also the accuracy of support and guidance of the saw at all times, as above explained. rI`he device being made largely from sheet or plate material is also easily and economically manufactured and assembled and of-l'ight weight so that it may be conveniently used and quickly adjusted for any desired work.

rlhe table or support for the work may be variously formed or arranged for adapta-tion to particular kinds of work.

Although l have described a preferred embodiment of this invention, various modiications may be made thereof without departing from the scope of the invention.

l claim:

A saw controlling mechanism comprising a base, a main frame pivotally mounted to turn on a horizontal axis on said base, a saw support carried by said main frame movable about a vertical axis, and a work support carried by said main frame and movable about a horizontal axis, said hori- Zonta] axis being perpendicular to the plane of the main frame.

CHARLES A. MORAN. 

